Licania is a genus of over 100 species of trees and shrubs in the family Chrysobalanaceae.[1] Species are found naturally occurring in neotropical forests from southern Mexico to Brazil and the Lesser Antilles. Due to increased deforestation and loss of habitat, several species have declined, some markedly so, and L. caldasiana from Colombia appears to have gone extinct in recent years.[2] Many species are either rare or restricted in distribution and therefore potentially threatened with future extinction. In 2016, a new circumscription of Licania was outlined, with over 100 species being placed in other genera such as Moquilea, Leptobalanus, Hymenopus, Microdesmia, Parinariopsis, Geobalanus and Cordillera.[3]
| Licania | |
|---|---|
.jpg)
| |
| Licania nitida in Brazil | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Chrysobalanaceae |
| Genus: | Licania Aubl.[1] |
| Diversity | |
| About 100 species | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Several species are used as ornamental plants. Licania fruit are important food for many animals and can also be eaten by humans. Caterpillars of a possible new taxon of the Astraptes fulgerator cryptic species complex were found on Licania arborea (now Microdesmia arborea) but do not seem to eat them regularly.[4][5] Like other members of its family, the genus is known for producing a diverse array of flavonoid compounds.[6][7][8]
Selected species
editSpecies include:[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Licania Aubl". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
- ^ Lopez-Gallego, C.; Morales M, P. (2020). "Licania caldasiana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T32074A182978362. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T32074A182978362.es. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- ^ C.A. Sothers; G.T. Prance; M.W. Chase (December 2016). "Towards a monophyletic Licania: a new generic classification of the polyphyletic Neotropical genus Licania (Chrysobalanaceae)". Kew Bulletin. 71 (58). Bibcode:2016KewBu..71...58S. doi:10.1007/S12225-016-9664-3.
- ^ Paul D. N. Hebert; Erin H. Penton; John M. Burns; Daniel H. Janzen; Winnie Hallwachs (2004). "Ten species in one: DNA barcoding reveals cryptic species in the neotropical skipper butterfly Astraptes fulgerator" (PDF). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 101 (41): 14812–14817. Bibcode:2004PNAS..10114812H. doi:10.1073/pnas.0406166101. JSTOR 3373639. PMC 522015. PMID 15465915.
- ^ Andrew V. Z. Brower (2006). "Problems with DNA barcodes for species delimitation: 'ten species' of Astraptes fulgerator reassessed (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae)" (PDF). Systematics and Biodiversity. 4 (2): 127–132. Bibcode:2006SyBio...4..127B. doi:10.1017/S147720000500191X. S2CID 54687052. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-12-17.
- ^ Bilia, Anna Rita; Ciampi, Lucia; Mendez, Jeannette; Morelli, Ivano (August 1996). "Phytochemical investigations of Licania genus. Flavonoids from Licania pyrifolia". Pharmaceutica Acta Helvetiae. 71 (3): 199–204. doi:10.1016/0031-6865(96)00009-x. ISSN 0031-6865.
- ^ Mendez, Jeannette; Bilia, Anna Rita; Morelli, Ivano (September 1995). "Phytochemical investigations of Licania genus. Flavonoids and triterpenoids from Licania pittieri". Pharmaceutica Acta Helvetiae. 70 (3): 223–226. doi:10.1016/0031-6865(95)00027-7. ISSN 0031-6865.
- ^ Bilia, Anna Rita; Mendez, Jeannette; Morelli, Ivano (August 1996). "Phytochemical investigations of Licania genus. Flavonoids and triterpenoids from Licania carii". Pharmaceutica Acta Helvetiae. 71 (3): 191–197. doi:10.1016/0031-6865(96)00010-6. ISSN 0031-6865.
External links
edit
Media related to Licania at Wikimedia Commons
 | This Malpighiales article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |